Industries

Municipalities, Counties & Government Entities

Overview

Friday, Eldredge & Clark counsels counties, municipalities, and special-purpose entities throughout the state on legal and operational needs. As a leader in shaping the Arkansas governmental and regulatory environment, we have strengths in counseling governmental entities that no other law firm in the state surpasses. Our lawyers have a leading bond counsel practice focused on the financing of public and nonprofit projects on behalf of local and state governmental agencies and special-purpose entities throughout Arkansas. Our tax law practice is second to none in the state, with lawyers who have done much to shape the Arkansas tax structure. And with the state’s leading employee benefits practice, we represent educational institutions and governmental entities with their specialized needs.

Client Focus

State of Arkansas

Regional Entities

School Districts and Higher Education Institutions

Municipalities

Counties

Services to Government Entities

Bond Counsel

Local and state governmental agencies and special-purpose entities in Arkansas and nationwide have made Friday, Eldredge & Clark a leading bond counsel firm. We provide counsel on bond insurance and other types of credit enhancement, interest rate swaps, and derivative products. In addition to our work as issuer’s and underwriter’s counsel, we serve as counsel to private purchasers of bonds, credit providers, and trustees. As a result, we have the ability to analyze public finance transactions from various perspectives, which enhances our ability to represent our public finance clients effectively in the issuance of state and local bonds, general obligation financing, school district financing, industrial and economic development bonds, and special-purpose financing, among others.

Economic Development

We play a central role in facilitating economic development bond financing for businesses and government throughout Arkansas, having worked on hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development financing transactions. That includes work as issuer’s and underwriter’s counsel on such financing vehicles as industrial development revenue bonds, special assessment bonds, and special source revenue credits and bonds.

Education

Our firm is among the leaders in bond financing for Arkansas school districts, representing underwriters and issuers as fiscal agents on behalf of the districts themselves. We also offer district administrators and boards of education a wide range of other services from employee benefits advice to courtroom representation in employment, desegregation, and other litigated matters.

Employee Benefits

A wide range of Arkansas municipalities and other governmental entities rely on us for guidance on the best ways to structure and administer their benefits and pension plans, including non-ERISA qualified, 403(b) and Section 457 plans.